Point of View

The point of view of the novel is third person, limited omniscience, meaning that the narrator writes about the characters as "he" or "she" and only has omniscient knowledge of one character's thoughts and emotions at a time. While the narration is limited omniscience, it is fully reliable. Because the characters are attempting to solve a puzzle throughout most of the novel, this reliability is crucial for the reader, who is trying to solve the puzzle alongside the characters. If the narration were unreliable, it would damage the relationship between the characters and the reader, and much of the enjoyment of the novel would be lost.

The story is divided equally between exposition and dialogue. There are some very long descriptive passages, particularly about the land, that appear to be boring and may be skimmed over by some readers. As the novel progresses, however, it becomes...